Caleb Downs is a versatile, well-rounded prospect whose instincts, physicality, and consistency give him the demeanor of an experienced, Pro Bowl-caliber player from day one. 

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​Downs was a 5-star recruit and top 10 player in the 2023 recruiting class, choosing Alabama over Ohio State, Notre Dame, Clemson, NC State, Florida State, Florida, and many more. Downs would earn second-team All-American honors as a true freshman before entering his name in the transfer portal and transferring to Ohio State. In two years with Ohio State, Downs was 2x first-team All-Big 10, 2x unanimous first-team All-American, Thorpe Award Winner, National Champion, and Lott Trophy Winner. 

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In zone coverage, Caleb Downs has great eyes and route recognition, and is a masterful facilitator when it comes to passing off responsibilities to teammates and putting himself back in proper position. While not a stand-out athlete, Downs is a fluid mover who can match and run downfield with receivers should he need to. What Downs ostensibly lacks in reactive athleticism, he makes up for with rare instincts. He closes on in-breaking pass catchers with ridiculous timing and precision (just 4 career penalties) and is capable of delivering punishing hits when the QB tests the window anyway. While Downs has great output so far in coverage, I'd still like to see more from him as a true safety, whether that involves single-high post or other deep looks. I believe Downs has the instincts to excel should a team want to deploy him more often in this way. This, however, should not necessarily be considered a weakness--it's rare that a young DB like Downs can be so consistently relied upon playing near the LOS, whether as a box safety or nickel. He has rare coverage instincts that we've seen transcend questions over raw athleticism in the past--think Eric Weddle, Harrison Smith, or even Earl Thomas III. 

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Downs is a physical run defender and an above average tackler. Where he really stands out in run support, however, is with his elite downhill trigger, great pursuit angles, and relentless physicality. He darts through gaps at the LOS to beat blockers to the point and plays above his weight class as a block shedder. Downs' instincts are what stand out the most of all--he is constantly in a position to be disruptive. Downs' only real ailment as a run defender is that he, as a fairly average-sized safety prospect, lacks consistent stopping power and occasionally has to drag larger ball carriers to the turf or resort to a shoestring tackle. This is a bit of a nitpick, especially since Downs has no shortage of physicality--he gets to the runner aggressively and, in most cases, allows very few yards after contact.

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There are no glaring weaknesses in Caleb Downs' game. The ball production is limited, but that isn't surprising when you consider how often he was used at the LOS during his career. In the relatively limited snaps we've seen from him playing deep, however, his instincts don't falter. The most likely reason he slides in the Draft is that he may follow the same trend we've seen over the years with elite, highly versatile safety prospects (Hamilton, Branch, Starks, Emmanwori, etc.)--that being they played a multi-positional and/or specialized role in college, and questions arise over whether they would be a viable fit, especially for defenses that seldom diversify their scheme and player usage (Saleh, Ryans, etc). That being said, Downs is arguably the most cerebral and instinctual of all the safeties I named above, and for that reason, I'd like to see him in a highly complex, attacking defense like the Vikings with Brian Flores. Despite all his strengths, Downs' measurables may be what knock him down the draft board for certain teams. Downs is likely to come in at shorter than 6'0 while weighing fewer than 210lbs, all while not being an elite athlete. I don't particularly care, as I don't think his good-not-great measureables and athleticism will significantly affect his performance (especially with many teams running less man coverage, which otherwise might exacerbate this weakness), but some front offices might not feel the same.

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While I believe Downs would excel in a complex, attacking defense as we saw from Patricia's Ohio State unit in 2025, he is a plug-and-play star with All-Pro potential for a decade or more, regardless of where he lands. Best fits include Minnesota, Washington, Cincinnati, Dallas, or any other team that needs a star safety.

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Grade: early 1st round

Archetype: 3-Level Defensive Chess Piece

High-End Pro Comparison: Eric Weddle

Low-End Pro Comparison: Vonn Bell